Shoemaker&#39;s jack



Y m L P. F.

SHOEMAKER 5 JACK Filed July 25, 1937 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE SHOEMAKERS JACK poration of New Jersey Application July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,201

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoemakers jacks, and, more particularly, to a shoemakers jack for holding lasts and shoes in a predetermined and adjustable position during the manu- 5 facture and repair of shoes.

Heretofore, in the building and repairing of shoes by manual methods and by the skilled craftsman, no special tools or devices were employed for holding the lasted shoe or the shoe 0 proper in a predetermined position. It was customary for the worker to hold the shoe with or without a last in his lap and to put a strap or loop around the central portion thereof. This strap generally was maintained at some tension by one of the feet of the worker hooked into the lower portion of the strap. Of course, this procedure practiced since the time of the very beginning of the art of shoemaking had great disadvantages and inconveniences. Thus, the constant tensioning of the strap during an extended time caused excessive fatigue of the worker and forced him to sit and to work in an unnatural and cramped position. Frequently, backaches or other physical disturbances have been caused by this practice. Moreover, the position of the shoe was by no means convenient and easily accessible during this procedure, and the shoe was not always held with the required rigidity and stren th in the desired position. When tacking the shoe or during other operations involving hammering on the shoe, excessive and painful pressure was exercised on the knees of the worker and the resiliency of the knees did not permit to drive in the tacks or nails with the required accuracy and speed.

Although this problem was known in the art for a considerable length of time and various suggestions and proposals have been made by those skilled in the art to relieve this situation,

none, as far as I am aware, of these various suggestions and proposals was completely satisfactory and successful. This is clearly indicated by the circumstance that the skilled shoemakers persisted in the old and conventional practice and continued to employ the inefficient and inconvenient strap.

I have discovered that the problem may be solved in a remarkably simple and practical manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe-holding tool or jack which eliminates the disadvantages and inconveniences of conventional devices,

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoemakers'jack adaptedtoquickly and positively engage a shoe or last and to retain the same in a predetermined and readily adjustable position at the will of the operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shoemakers jack involving shoe and last- 5 engaging members adapted to receive and to hold a last or a shoe in a position which is adjustable in the horizontal and in a vertical plane and which permits quick and easy changing of these positions in accordance with the operation to be 10 performed on the shoe.

The invention also contemplates a shoemakers jack which is simple in construction and to oper-- ate, and which may be manufactured. and sold at a low price on a practical and commercial 15 scale.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: 20

Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the shoemakers jack embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 depicts the upper portion of the shoemakers jack shown in Fig. 1 having a shoe 25 clamping attachment inserted therein; and,

Fig. 3 shows a top elevational view of the last and shoe holding members illustrated in Fig. 2.

Broadly stated, in accordance with the principles of my invention, I provide a last-engaging 30 member adapted to co-operate with a suitable depression in the last, such as, for example, the conventional hole in the rear portion of the last.

I prefer to provide this last-engaging element in the form of a short pin or pivot which is 5 capable of entering a hole in the rear portion of the last and which is urged by resilient means to perform an angular displacement around a pivoting point. At a point facing the nose of the shoe, I provide a suitable supporting surface or 40 head against which the nose or the adjoining portions of the shoe will be pressed by considerable pressure by the angular displacement caused by said resilient means. This will cause the last and shoe to be retained in a definite and 45 predetermined position. In view of the fact that in shoemaking practice shoes of varying size and length have to be handled, it is advantageous to provide an adjustable head or a head permitting adjustment of the distance between the pivoting point of the last-engaging member and the head, as this will be explained more fully hereinafter.

A bracket or some other rigid supporting member may be employed for holding the shoe-engaging member and-the headin the desired rela- 55 tive position. The bracket itself may be supported in a bench bracket or on a pedestal type floor stand. I prefer to provide a multiaxial joint between the supporting means of the bracket and the bracket proper which permits to adjust the position of the shoe or of the last to such position as is found to be the most convenient and advantageous for the particular operation to be performed on the shoe. Moreover, it is advantageous to arrange setting means such as set screws or fixing levers for rigidly and positively maintaining the bracket and the associated structure in the preferred position and to prevent accidental and undesirable displacements thereof when the worker is engaged in performing some operation in the shoe. The joint permits the bracket to be adjusted about an axis parallel to its horizontal arm and about an axis normal to said arm.

I have found that in many cases additional advantages are obtained by providing my shoemakers jack with an adjustable clamp for holding a completed shoe without a last, as this is customary and desirable in repairing and cobbling shoes. I prefer to provide this clamp in the form of a separate and removable unit involving a substantially U-shaped bracket and a screw for engaging the inner heel surface of the shoe. This clamping unit is provided with a depending extension or pin which can be inserted into a corresponding recessed portion of the main bracket and may be retained therein by means of screw pressure or by friction. This provides additional possibilities of holding a shoe in various positions obtainable by adjusting the position of the main bracket by means of its multiaxial joint.

The invention will now be more fully described to those skilled in the art reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

Referring now, more particularly to Fig. 1, reference character i denotes a main gooseneck bracket having a substantially L-shaped form. At the end of the horizontal portion of said bracket is pivotally mounted a last-engaging member comprising a knuckle joint 2 pivoted on pin 3 and having a tail post or pin 4 inserted therein. A powerful spring 5 is connected between tail post 4 and a hook l on the main gooseneck bracket 1 and causes downward pressure of the lasted shoe against head pulley or toe rest 3. The tension of spring 5 and thereby the pressure of the nose of the shoe against the head is adjustable by means of a screw 8 and a knurled nut 9. Head pulley 6 is rotatably and eccentrically mounted at the vertical end of the main gooseneck bracket and may be rotated around a pin or screw it for adjusting the distance between the nose of a shoe and the tail post in accordance with the size of the shoe.

In order to secure the main gooseneck bracket in an adjustable position to a bench bracket or to a pedestal stand, the main bracket is provided with a substantially cylindrical extension or pivot ll vertically depending therefrom. Pivot H is slidingly fitted into a corresponding recess l2 in trunnion l3 and may be fixed therein in any position by means of a set screw I4. Trunnion I3 is pivotally mounted between ears i5 in a threaded pin it which may be engaged by a lever ll to fix the trunnion in the desired position. As it will be readily observed from the drawing, pivot H and trunnion I3 form a universal joint and permit adjusting and fixing the main gooseneck bracket and the shoe connected thereto in any desired position. Ears l5 forming integral extension of member l8 are connected to the upper end of a pedestal type stand l9 having a heavy base 20 to impart stability to the complete structure. Of course, instead of a pedestal stand it is also possible to attach member l8 to a bench bracket with equal or similar results.

From the preceding description, the operation of my improved shoemakers jack will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. When it is desired to mount a lasted shoe on the jack, tail post or pin 4 is inserted into the hole in the rear portion of the last and spring 5 is tensioned by employing the shoe and the last as a lever connected to the tail post. Hereafter, the nose of the shoe is carefully deposited on head pulley 6, care being taken to previously adjust the head pulley around pin H] in accordance with the size of the shoe. The tension of spring 5 will now securely hold the shoe and the last rigidly connected to the main gooseneck bracket. To adjust the position of the shoe with respect to the worker, set screw l4 and fixing lever H are released, the main bracket is moved into the desired position and is fixed therein by tightening again the set screw and the fixing lever.

For holding a completed shoe in my improved shoemakers jack, as this is necessary particularly in rebuilding old shoes and for stitching, I provide a clamp attachment (Figs. 2 and 3) constituted of a U-shaped body member 2! having a downward extension 22 which can be inserted into a hole 23 provided in the central portion of the main gooseneck bracket and may be tightened therein by set screw 24. A shoe may be inserted between the legs of the clamp and may be securely held between a spherical button 25 and a socket 26 mounted at the end of clamping screw 21. Socket 26 is rotatably mounted at the end 28 of clamping screw 2'! to permit rotational displacement of the clamped shoe around the approximate center of the heel as a pivoting point without excessive friction. At the same time this clamping attachment also forms a convenient lasting unit in itself by removing socket 26 whereby end 28 of clamping screw 2'! becomes free to engage a corresponding hole in the rear portion of the last. This provides another valuable clamping means for the purpose of lasting or stitching shoes. Of course, the clamping attachment maybe adjusted in any desired position by means of the universal joint of the main gooseneck bracket. In view of the simplicity of construction, the operation of the clamping attachment will be readily understood without any further explanation.

It is to be noted that the shoemakers jack embodying my invention provides a number of important advantages. Thus, it permits to securely mount a shoe and last for the purpose of lasting and hand stitching or for carrying out various other operations customary in the manufacture of shoes. In addition, the position of the shoe may be adjusted and fixed in any desired position at a moment's notice.

It is also to be observed that my improved shoemakers jack relieves the shoemaker from any strain or fatigue heretofore unavoidable in holding the shoe during the various operations.

Furthermore, by means of the clamping attachment, finished shoes may be adjustably and securely held with the same ease as unfinished shoes, thus greatly facilitating the rebuilding and cobbling of old shoes.

Moreover, my novel shoemakers jack is simple in construction, will give life-long service without any servicing or repairs, and may be manufactured and sold at a very moderate price.

Although I have described my invention in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of my invention. I consider all of these variations and modifications as within the true spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the present description and defined by the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A shoemakers jack comprising in combination a bracket having angularly related arms, a tail post pivoted directly to the free end of one of said arms and adapted to engage the rear portion of a last, a supporting head for the nose of a shoe pivoted directly to the free end of the other of said arms, a spring connected to said last arm and to said tail post for imparting a rotational force to said tail post and a member carried by said tail post and constituting a handle by which it may be turned into a position in which said last may be conveniently engaged therewith, said member connecting the spring to said tail post and being adjustable in said tail post to vary the tension of said spring.

2. A shoemakers jack comprising in combination a bracket having a substantially horizontal arm and a substantially vertical arm, a tail post adapted to engage a hole in a last pivoted directly to the free end of said horizontal arm, a toe rest rotatably mounted upon the upper end of said vertical arm, and providing a supporting surface for the nose of a shoe, a helical spring connected to said vertical arm and said tail post and causing angular displacement of said tail post to press the nose of a shoe against said toe rest, means supporting said bracket for adjustment about an axis parallel to said horizontal arm and for adjustment about an axis normal to said arm, and means for securing said bracket in adjusted position.

3. A shoemakers jack comprising in combination a bracket having a substantially horizontal arm and a substantially vertical arm, a tail post adapted to engage a hole in a last pivoted directly to the free end of said horizontal arm, a toe rest rotatably mounted upon the upper end of said vertical arm, and providing a supporting surface for the nose of a shoe, a helical spring connected to said vertical arm and said tail post and causing angular displacement of said tail post to press the nose of a shoe against said toe rest, a member carried by said tail post and constituting a handle by which it may be turned into a position in which said last may be conveniently engaged therewith, said member connecting the spring to said tail post and being adjustable in said tail post to vary the tension of said spring, means supporting said bracket for adjustment about an axis parallel to said horizontal arm and for adjustment about an axis normal to said arm, and means for securing said bracket in adjusted position.

FRANCESCO PAUL LIOY. 

